Air-brake apparatus.



m. 70!,796. Patented June 3, I902.

w. L. CLARK.

AIR BRAKE APPARATUS,

(Application filed Dec. 39, 1901.)

(No Model.)

I nve'wl'om. 1737/1 Mira/021% atkoz'nmp UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. CLARK, OF OELWEIN, IOWA.

AIR-BRAKE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,796, dated June 3,1902.

Application filed December 30, 1901I Serial No. 87,743. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oelwein, in the county of Fayette and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brake Apparatus; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates, broadly, to air-brake apparatus.

In a combination-trainthat is, a train composed of a series of carscarrying airbrake apparatus and a series of rear cars not equipped withair-brake apparatusserious accidents have oftentimes resulted, due tothe failure of the engineer to observe signals made by the trainmen orconductors on those cars at the end of the train which are not providedwith air-brakes, and this is particularly true in foggy weather.Accidents have also resulted by the breaking or pulling apart of thetrain at that point in its length where the car's thereof are'notprovided with air brakes.

It is the object of the present invention to provide asimple, durable,inexpensive, port:

able device adapted to be attached to the head end of the forward car ofthat section of cars not employing air-brakes and to be coupled withthetrain-pipe at the rear end of the last car of that section of the trainemploying air-brakes, whereby upon the separation of the train at apoint at the rear of the car employing air-brakes the'air-brakes will beapplied and the engineer thus be given notice that something unusual hasoccurred, or if an accident has happened to the cars not equipped withair-brakes the conductors or trainmen of said cars may by pulling upon arope apply the brakes to those cars equipped with the air-brakes, andthus give notice to the engineer, and thus stop the train.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination,and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointedout in the go appended claims.

a side View showing on a small scale and in conventional form a'train ofcars illustrating the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is anenlarged detail perspective view of the head end of a car not providedwith an airbrake and illustrating the application of the inventionthereto, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the clamp for attaching thedevice to the car.

Referring to the drawings, a denotes the locomotive; 19, its tender; 0,d, and e, cars provided with the usual air-brakes, and f and g carshaving the usual hand-brakes.

To the forward end or head end of the car f is removably connected ahose 1, having at one end an air-cock 2 and at its opposite end acoupling-head 3. The coupling-head 3 is adapted to be secured to thecoupling-head 4 on the air-line, as shown in Fig. 1. A rope or cord 5 isconnectedto the handle of the air-cock, extends up and through. suitableguide-eyes 6, secured to the front end of the car f, over said car andover the car g to within convenient reach of the conductor or trainman,who usually occupies the rear car, which is generally in the'form of acaboose. The end of the rope is attached to this rear car. It is evidentthat should the conductor or trainman desire to apply the brakesto theforward section of the train or that section supplied with air-brakesall that he has to do is to draw upon the cord, which will open thevalve and allow the escape of air from the air-brake system, or shouldany of those cars not equipped with the air-brakes separate the cord orrope will be tightened and will pull open the valve, thus notifying theengineer by the application of the air-brakes of the ac cident, and thusgiving him an opportunity to prevent serious damage.

The air-brake hose 1 is made up of a flexible tube 1, a metal elbow 1",and a metal nipple 1, which supports the air-cock 2. The lower end ofthe rope is provided witha ring 7, which is connected to the handle ofthe aircock. Any suitable means may be employed for removabl yconnecting this device to a car; but that shown is preferred,and'consists of a clamp comprising a bar 8, having formed'at one end ajaw 9, provided with a roughened face 10 and having formed at itsopposite end an angular extension 11, with which is engaged a screwthreaded shaft 12, having swiveled at one end a pronged head 13 andprovided at its other end with a crank or handle 14. The bar at theforward end is provided with a subclamp 15, which is bolted to said barand which supports the nipple 1 When it is desired to remove the clampfrom the end sill of the car for the purpose of attaching it to someother car, the handle of crank 14 is operated to throw its swiveledpronged head from engagement with the end of the car, thus permittingthe clamp to be bodily removed with its hose thereto attached and to bequickly fastened to another car with which it is desired to use thedevice.

Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the ring 7 on rope 5with the handle of the air-cock that will allow the ring to slip oi thehandle at the proper time. The means herein shown consists of providingthe end of the handle with a slight declivity in which the ring seatsitself when slipped on thehandle. Aspringihasoneend connected to thehandle by the same screw which connects said handle to the valve-stem ofthe cock and has its free end bearing against the free end of thehandle, as shown, thereby preventing accidental displacement of the ring7. By providing this construction it will be seen that should the trainseparate between the carsfand g the pull on the rope caused by saidseparation would first open the air-cock and then allow the ring 7 toslip off the bandle of the cock and prevent breaking of the rope.Furthermore, the conductor or brakeman in the rear car desiring to makea service or emergency stop pulls the rope 5 until he feels the ringslip off the handle, by which he may know he has the air-cock all theway open.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood without requiringan extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire tojsecureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with asection of hose provided at one end with a coupling-head adapted to beattached to atrain air-pipe and provided at its other end with a cock,and means connected to said cock for opening the same and automaticallyreleasable from said cock after it has been opened, substantially as setforth.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with asection of hose provided at one end with a coupling-head adapted to beattached to a train air-pipe and provided at its other end with a cock,and means connected to said cock for opening the same and automaticallyreleasable from said cock after it has been opened, said meanscomprising a cord having a ring at one end which engages the handle ofthe cock, and a spring for holding said ring in place when the cock isin closed position and for permitting the withdrawal of the ring fromthe handle of the cock after the cock has been opened, substantially asset forth.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with asection of hose provided atone end with a coupling-head adapted to beattached to a train air-pipe provided at its other end with a cock,means for opening said cook, and a clamp for removably connecting thehose to the end of a car, said clamp comprising a bar having at its rearend a jaw and at its forward end an upwardly-bent portion, a screwengaging said upwardly-bent portion, a pronged head swiveled to theinnor end of said screw, and asubclamp for embracing and holding saidhose, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM L. CLARK.

Witnesses:

A. M. ODELL, L. M. WHITNEY.

